Versatile and idiosyncratic, spanning over seven decades, the work of Marion Baruch (*1929, Timișoara, Romania; lives and works in Gallarate, Italy) represents a unique approach to formalism due to its being deeply interdisciplinary. In the mid-1960s Baruch transitioned from painting to works in three dimensions that appropriate elements from fashion, graphic and product design, and commerce, effectively anticipating the emergence of installation art and Relational Aesthetics. A “global artist” with a “participatory practice” before such terms could be fully conceived, Baruch lived and worked in Romania, Israel – where she had her first solo exhibition at Micra Studio in Tel Aviv in 1953 – France, and Italy and created several bodies of work that would on the one hand reflect her position of total freedom toward any stylistic restrictions, and on the other hand possess the capability to function as a radar and capture ideas and tools – such as the Internet – that would become massively influential.

From the outset, her practice has been rooted in a concern with contamination, while undergoing stylistic shifts: from expressive paintings to graphic art; from large metal sculptures to her seminal performative works Contenitore-Ambiente [environment-container] (1970) and Abito-Contenitore [container-dress] (1969-70); and from her layered project Ultramobile – a group of “non-objects” designed by artists such as Man Ray, Meret Oppenheim, Roberto Matta and Allen Jones – to the series “Rembrandt” (1978-82). “Rembrandt” represents a unique rumination on the pillars of what is known as Western culture and male-oriented art history, through a semiological lens and an ironic analysis of the medium of painting. The 1980s saw her practice shift to a playful and yet critical approach toward the field of art, and specifically to the art market – epitomized by her decision to channel her artistic action through a company called “Name Diffusion” that she registered at the chamber of commerce. The consequential 15 years, her “Parisian phase,” was characterized by a clear desire to use the medium of installation, Internet art and language to address social and political issues. During this phase Name Diffusion evolved, becoming the umbrella name for works created with the involvement of the community of the sans-papiers (illegal immigrants) with whom Baruch clearly identified.

The most recent phase of Baruch’s practice – the focus of her solo exhibition at CCA Tel Aviv-Yafo – is characterized by the reuse of textile waste from the prêt-à-porter industry, employed by the artist to create a body of work that renewed her conviction that formalism is never disconnected from issues that are either conceptual, autobiographical, existential or philosophical. Two prime examples from this body of work are presented for the first time on this occasion: Passage Paysage and Cloud Architecture (both 2021). Opening a new phase in her work is Bomba (2022), created especially for this exhibition and consisting for the first time of a monochromatic composition of fabric ‘limbs,’ clothes that were once the artist’s own. The presence of this new path attests to the artist’s perseverance in reinventing her chosen medium, in a vocabulary that is all her own yet undeniably universal.

“Marion Baruch: Bomba” is guest-curated by Noah Stolz with Nicola Trezzi.

The exhibition is accompanied by printed matter in Hebrew, Arabic, and English; exhibition tours in English on September 15 and October 22, in Hebrew on October 1 and November 12, in Italian on October 25, and in Arabic on November 5; and two Saturday Kids Labs led by Eden Bannet on October 29 and November 12.

“Marion Baruch: Bomba” is supported by Istituti Italiani di Cultura, Tel Aviv and Haifa. Additional support is provided by Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing / Lucerne, Sommer Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv / Zurich, and Galerie Anne-Sarah Bénichou, Paris.

Following the exhibition, Mousse published an exhibition catalogue with content in English – a collaboration between CCA, MNAC, Bucharest, and HGB Galerie, Leipzig.

Images

1

“Marion Baruch: Bomba,” 2022

View of the exhibition at CCA Tel Aviv-Yafo

Photo: Eyal Agivayev

2, left

Porta nel paesaggio, 2017

Synthetic fiber and cotton 250 × 215 cm (approx.)

Courtesy of the artist and Sommer Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv / Zurich

Photo: Eyal Agivayev

2, right

Bomba, 2022

Cut clothes, 150 × 150 cm (approx.)

Courtesy of Sommer Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv / Zurich

Photo: Eyal Agivayev

3, left

Cloud architecture, 2020

Cotton, 124 × 150 cm

Courtesy of the artist and Sommer Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv / Zurich

Photo: Eyal Agivayev

3, right

Porta nel paesaggio, 2017

Synthetic, fiber and cotton 250 × 215 (approx.)

Courtesy of the artist and Sommer Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv / Zurich

Photo: Eyal Agivayev

4

Marion Baruch

Passage paysage, 2021

Fabric, 224 × 366 cm

Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing / Lucern

Photo: Eyal Agivayev

5

La lampe de ma cuisine, 2020

Synthetic fiber, 285 × 148 cm

Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Anne-Sarah Bénichou, Paris

Photo: Eyal Agivayev

6

“Marion Baruch: Bomba,” 2022

View of the exhibition at CCA Tel Aviv-Yafo

Photo: Eyal Agivayev

7

Contenitore-Ambiente, 1970

Exhibition copy

Courtesy of the artist

Photo: Eyal Agivayev